BLACKMAN TWP, MI – A 53-year-old Rives Junction man did not have any serious injuries after his SUV left U.S. 127, went airborne and traveled about 40 to 50 yards into an area of brush and trees.

He was heading south on U.S. 127 north of Springport Road about 9:20 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a small curve near the Springport Road entrance ramp, Blackman-Leoni Township public safety Deputy Director Jon Johnston said.

The Jeep Cherokee hit a grassy patch on the west side of the highway and flew across the entrance ramp. Its bottom hit the top of a guardrail at the edge of the ramp. It landed on the west side of the guardrail, traveled far into the brushy, swampy area and landed near the Springport Road embankment, west of the overpass, facing northwest.

Phelps Towing employees pull a Jeep Grand Cherokee over the guard rail onto Springport Road at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on US-127 near the Springport Road entrance ramp. The 53-year-old male driver was taken to Allegiance Health by ambulance with no visible injuries, but for precautionary reasons. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Johnston said the man had no visible injuries. He was “shook up” and went by ambulance to Allegiance Health for “precautionary reasons.”

The man is “very fortunate” he was not seriously injured or killed, Johnston said.

His SUV was so far off the road, it could not be seen from the highway.

The man was unable to articulate why the Jeep left the road, Johnston said.

There were no immediate indications that alcohol or drugs were involved, the deputy director said.

Johnston said there also was no sign of "excessive speed."

The driver was wearing a seat belt, he said.

He said the crash remained under investigation.

Vehicles continued to travel both lanes of U.S. 127 and a wrecker was pulling the Jeep out of the grass from the Springport Road overpass.

A man from the Jackson County Department of Transportation was at the site to repair the guardrail.